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- There are steps you can take to increase your chances of happiness down the line.
- Large decisions, like getting a new job, can improve your long-term happiness. Smaller habit changes — such as volunteering or scheduling a call with your parents — can have similar impacts as well.
- Here are eight ways to improve your long-term happiness.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
As more people work longer hours, causing burnout to officially become a clinical disease, the daily grind can have you feeling down.
Being happy is important for long-term health. Happiness has been linked to better immune systems and faster wound healing, both factors that lead to a longer lifespan.
Even if things seem down now, there are steps you can take to prime yourself for happiness down the line. Whether it be large decisions like getting a new job or purchasing a new home, small efforts like volunteering on the weekends can do wonders for your long-term happiness.
Here are eight scientifically proven ways to increase your happiness.
Don’t overwork yourself.
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If you find yourself feeling lousy a lot of the time, it might be your job.
While a bad day or week on the job is normal, a hostile work environment can lead to depression, according to Amy Morin, psychotherapist and author of "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do." Plus, overworking yourself is one of the biggest regrets dying people have about life.
If you find yourself constantly thinking about your job, having difficulty getting out of bed, and even becoming physically ill, it might be time to quit your job and find something that will lead to more happiness down the line.
Spend more time with your family.
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Another top regret dying people have is not spending enough time with family and friends.
Studies back up the importance of having strong familial ties to long-term happiness. Around 93% of men who experienced happiness later in life had good relationships with a brother or sister, according to a study that tracked the lives of 268 men for 72 years.
If you’re struggling to balance your time, the act of scheduling blocks where you just focus on your family can make you less stressed and happier, time-management expert Laura Vanderkam, author of "Off the Clock," told Business Insider correspondent Shana Lebowitz.
Try to settle down in a place close to where you work.
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A shorter drive to work can make you happier, according to a study out of the University of the West of England that looked at 26,000 employee commutes over five years.
The researches found every extra minute you spend commuting reduces job satisfaction and worsens your mental health. In fact, adding 20 minutes to your commute per day has the same effect on your job satisfaction as receiving a 19% pay cut.
To increase your future happiness, try moving somewhere you know will be close to where you work.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Allana Akhtar)